The people we all know and most of us love

We all have those people that we see all the time.  Maybe we know their name -- maybe we don't.  They typically have a smile on their face and are eager to make acquaintance.  Busy folks typically brush on by to something more important; a passerby on occasion will stop by to have their day brightened for just a bit.

I've been thinking a lot about this lately.  The corner of West Paces and Northside Parkway was made famous as the corner of Robert the rose guys for the better part of 20 years.  This man stood on this corner almost every night and took such pride in selling flowers.  I never had occasion to buy flowers so never stopped to chat.  I knew people that did though, and he would carefully describe the best way to cut and store the roses as if they were a rare bottle of wine.  Sadly, Robert recently passed away and Atlanta lost a piece its heart that day.

But Robert isn't the only one of these people in my life.  Others have been sprinkled throughout my experience to remind me of what life is really about.  There was Edward, the real change guy, who faithfully sold homeless newspapers for years outside the Brooklyn Safeway in Seattle.  He always told me, "Have a nice day, sir" despite never having bought a newspaper from him.  In my office building, there is Dallas the security guard although I don't think he could stop a crime if one were to occur.  This man in his 70s faithfully graces the doors every day and knows everyone's name.  He has the same phrases he always uses like "going topside" or "they're waiting on you".  If you ever stop to chat, you likely won't be leaving for 20 minutes and will feel like you're being rude when you finally leave.  This kindred old man will surprise you with the occasional profane word and endear you with stories of his wife.  There's Johnny, who is stationed by the light on the exit ramp as I drive to Church.  I have never seen anyone smile so freely -- even though he has little in the way of possessions.  He's an avid Tech fan and always gives me "the rock" during our brief 45 second conversations.  He scrapes by on the kindness of those passing by, but on Easter morning he shared with me how he was helping those less fortunate than him.

I really wish I would have stopped just once to talk to Robert and become a minor player in his legacy.  Maybe I've finally learned that hurriedness is rarely as important or as necessary as it seems at the time.  Perhaps taking a few moments to be blessed will more than compensate for arriving a little late.  And just maybe, I will learn to treat others as these have treated me.



R.I.P Robert



http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/buckhead-mourns-robert-the-425926.html

Sometimes the losers are remembered more

I've been meaning to blog for a few weeks now, but time has a way of disappearing on me.  All that to say that I apologize if this post is a bit dated.

I am talking of course about Butler's epic near miss of winning a National Championship!  It was the perfect underdog story in the perfect city and it even had the whole Hoosiers thing going on.  But alas, real life often doesn't follow the script of reel life and a half court heave that climaxes a fairy tale script painfully misses by mere inches.

All is not lost though.  I think this is one of the rare occasions where the loser will actually be remembered more than the winner.  For whatever reason, a loser sometimes captures our imagination whether we identify with them or they have an epic collapse or they show the heart of a lion.

I think of Jean Van De Velde or Greg Norman whose names have become synonymous with gargantuan collapses.  I think of Andy Roddick at last year at Wimbledon who left everything he had on the court and remade his image in the course of a few drawn out hours.  I think of the one loser who may capture these qualities more than any other story.  I was listening to the story of Julie Moss in the 1982 Iron Man.  She was a 23 year old College Student who just did the race trying to get a degree.  Amazingly though, she found herself winning by 20 minutes in the run.  At the end of the race, her body just gave out on her in a fashion that is painful to watch on video.  After competing for 11 hours and being 30 yards from the finish, her body just gave up on her.  She was passed for the victory, but yet she was determined to finish.  In a remarkable display of courage, she crawled to the finish to win the hearts of millions.  Yes, sometimes we learn more from the losers and remember their story.  Hollywood be damned.

Video of her finish:
http://www.livevideo.com/video/4FE1ED0A9D254E39A0EE2405DAE105F5/julie-moss-1982-hawaii-ironma.aspx

The Lord's Prayer

My maker

Blessed be thy name

Thy message carried out

Right here, right now

My provider

My atoner

Thou tempts me not

My deliverer

To thine be the glory